A Rose For Hope And A Kiss For Good Luck
by roxan1930
Summary: It's only been a short while after Genkai died and a few more hours untill Team Urameshi goes against Team Toguro and Botan isn't sure if can handle the idea of losing more people she cares for. Then Kurama shows up and they share a moment...


**Disclaimer: I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho**

**A Rose For Hope And A Kiss For Good Luck**

Botan took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as she stood on the cliff she and her friends often went to so they could look at the ocean.

She was still wearing her pink kimono after ferrying Genkai's soul to the Spirit World after Toguro had killed her.

Now she was nervous to be forced to ferry more souls of people she cared for.

Her guys, Team Urameshi, had made it all the way to the finals of the Dark Tournament and were about to fight the brutes of Team Toguro themselves.

Botan swallowed hard as she felt more tears fill her eyes.

She didn't want to lose those guys too!

When she first met Yusuke she mostly just saw him as interesting and a special project but after spending so much time together he had become like the brother she always wanted but never had with who she argued with but loved all the same.

Upon their first meeting and a few times after that Kuwabara had a huge crush on her and while he creeped her out a bit, she didn't mind too much. When he turned his affections towards Yukina she sometimes became annoyed by how easily he ignored her now but that aside it made it possible to really get to know him without cheesy flirting and he became a great friend.

She had always been scared of Hiei and if she was honest, she still was at times but as time went on she became frightened less quick by him and he slowly seemed to get more patient with her and even later she learned he would never hurt her too seriously.

And then there was Kurama.

Sigh, Kurama…

Like with Hiei she hadn't met Kurama on good terms due to him having stolen the Demon Artifacts but she had to admit that he was really good-looking when she for the first time got a good look at him. She had been put in trance by his long, flowing fiery red hair, his emerald eyes that seemed to take in everything at once and an amazingly handsome face. However, she was pulled out of it upon hearing he wanted to meet Yusuke on the same night as the full moon and upon learning how the mirror worked she had been worried he was planning in sacrificing Yusuke. But then she found Yusuke just fine and he told her about why Kurama had done what he had done. Hearing how he was willing to die for his mother had made her also start falling for his personality but only a bit. She fell completely for him when they met for the second time when he had selflessly taken a sword in the stomach to safe Yusuke.

Just try to imagine the joy Botan had felt when she learned that the good-looking and kind-hearted former thief would be working with Yusuke.

Now a series a terrible fights were about to start in a few hours and she was on the point of possibly losing three good friends and the man she loved just like she had lost Genkai who she to some point had grown to love like a grandmother.

It was just too much for the ferry-girl as she slowly started crying.

"Botan?" a voice suddenly asked, causing her to gasp in surprise.

Looking up she gasped again when she saw it was Kurama who was already wearing his Chinese styled fighting outfit, looking dangerous and yet elegant.

"K-kurama! W-what are y-you d-doing here?" Botan stuttered, ashamed that he had found her crying.

"I'm taking a walk to relax a bit before the fights start." he said, looking around at the ocean that had the sun glimmering on the waves as a light breeze blew his hair back.

"Yeah, me too." Botan half-lied.

She had wanted to take a walk before the fights but not really to relax but to just be alone.

"If you ask me crying doesn't seem to relax people." Kurama said as calmly.

"What? I haven't been crying!" Botan tried to deny it.

"Botan, you have tear-tracks all over your face." Kurama pointed out, raining a single eyebrow.

The deity quickly started wiping them away with her sleeves until one of her wrists was caught by a strong but gentle hand.

Looking up she saw that Kurama had come closer to her.

"Botan, why were you crying?" he asked her firmly.

She wanted to deny it again but she knew it was useless and instead lost it and started crying again, loudly this time.

"Botan? What's wrong?" Kurama asked as he wrapped his arms around his friend, allowing her to sob into his chest.

"G-Genkai!" was the first and only thing she managed to choke out.

"Yes. I felt it too." Kurama sighed as he pulled her closer.

Botan wasn't the only one who loved the old woman like she was family.

They all did. Even Hiei.

He gently ran his fingers soothingly through her blue hair as he tried to calm the girl down.

"I-I just don't want to lose anyone else!" Botan cried, clutching Kurama's shirt as if her own life depended on it.

"I know, Botan. We'll try our best." Kurama whispered in her ear.

He carefully pulled away from her and grabbed her hand in his own.

"Huh? Where are we going?" Botan asked when he started pulling her in a random direction.

"Come. I want to show you something." the fox said, giving a small smile over his shoulder.

Botan decided to trust him and allowed him to pull her off the who-knows-where.

"We're here." Kurama suddenly said after a while of walking.

Botan, who had pretty much been looking at the back of his head for the entire walk, looked around and gasped.

Kurama had guided her to a beautiful field that had hundreds of rosebushes spread out over it.

"Kurama! It's be beautiful!" she said, letting go of his hand and running towards one of the rosebushes to get a better look.

Hearing his footsteps getting closer she turned around and smiled up at him.

"How did you know about this place?" she asked him.

"I found it one day while taking a walk and since then this has been one of the places on this island that I go to when I want to be alone." he answered, happy with see her smile on her lips and the sparkling in her purple eyes back.

Wrapping one arm around her shoulders he pulled her closer while the other reached down to pluck on of the roses from the bush they were standing by.

"Here, take this." he told the ferry-girl as he as he held the flower out to her.

"Thanks but why?" she asked as she took the rose from him.

"I just put some of my demon-energy inside it. It's connected to me so it will stay strong as long as my life is that too. See it as something to give you hope during my battle. I'm sorry but I can't give you flowers like this from the others." he explained.

He stiffened in surprise when Botan suddenly wrapped her arms around his neck.

"It doesn't matter that you can't give me flowers connected to the other guys. I'm already happy with this one." she whispered, tightening her hold on him.

Who would have thought she was this strong?

"Kurama? Can I… Can I also give you something?" Botan asked after a while, pulling away slightly to look at his face.

"If you insist." Kurama answered, wondering why she thought she needed to ask him something like that.

Listening as he gave his permission Botan swallowed, preparing herself to do what she had always wanted after them became friends and with this maybe being her last chance ever as he could still die in his coming fight she just did what she wanted.

She pressed her lips against his in a sweet kiss, closing her eyes as she savored them moment while it lasted.

Her heart fluttered when she felt him start to kiss back, on arm going around her waist while the other went up and he gently held her head in his hand.

Knowing he wanted this too she moved one hand from his neck and run it through his soft crimson locks.

She parted her lips slightly to allow his tongue in to play with her own, moaning in his mouth.

However, they both still needed to breath so after a while they slowly pulled apart, panting due to lack of air.

"Botan? Not that I'm complaining but what was that for?" Kurama asked with a smile, moving a lock of the girl's blue hair behind her ear before cupping her whole cheek.

"For good luck." she answered, leaning her face into his warm hand.

"I see." he said before moving away from her.

"I believe I should be on my way towards the other by now. I will see you later." Kurama said as he turned around and started walking away.

"Yes. Of course." Botan agreed as she tried to hide her disappointment due to having him leave her already.

"Oh, and Botan?" Kurama sked as he stopped walking but didn't turn around.

"Y-yes?" she asked, suddenly feeling nervous again.

What if he was going to tell her that he only kissed back on impulse?

No, Kurama wouldn't do something like that, right?

"I love you too." the fox then said with a small smile over his shoulder before he started walking again.

Botan froze at that, her eyes widening and her cheeks turning red.

How the hell had he known about her feelings for him?!

'_Well, it wouldn't be Kurama if he couldn't figure everything out._' she thought with a smile as she hugged the rose he gave her to her heart, happy that he was able to find out and that he returned those feelings.

She then started to make her way back to the hotel to change.

She probably wouldn't need to wear her working-clothing for her friends.

Kurama wouldn't leave her after what just happened and Yusuke, Kuwabara and Hiei were all just too stubborn to die as if they would, it would mean their opponent was stronger and they wouldn't allow that to ever happen unless they were with each other.

And with that Botan started walking back while in her head trying to remember which clothes she all brought along with her.

**The End**

**Please review and Read my other stories!**


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